Konica Minolta News Archive (2004)

Konica colourFORCE™ 8050 Receives "Editor's Choice" Recognition

RAMSEY, N.J. – January 6, 2004 – Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) today announced that the Konica colourFORCE™ 8050 colour Imaging System received an "Editor's Choice" award from Better Buys for Business, publisher of the nation's leading independent buyer's guides for office equipment.

"Editor's Choice" awards are issued to those products in each category that deliver maximum value to customers, with the selection process based largely on the strength of a product's features and specifications, as well as how it stacks up against the competition.

"Clearly, this new colour copier is the value leader at the production level of the colour market. It is an outstanding deal," said Jonathan Bees, editor-in-chief of Better Buys for Business. "If you generate high volumes of colour output and require good speed and low operating cost, the colourFORCE 8050 fits the bill."

Total cost of ownership is a key element in determining value, and Better Buys for Business identified the colourFORCE 8050 as being just over half the cost of the closest competitor in their target market - central reprographic departments (CRD), print shops, high-volume corporate workgroups, and graphic arts environments. In addition, the product uses Konica's Simitri® colour Polymerized Toner, keeping service and supply costs low while increasing image quality and accuracy. In fact, editors noted that at $.05 per page, "the colour per page cost is one of the most aggressive on the market today."

Editors also praised the colourFORCE 8050's "robust" paper handling capabilities. It has a maximum paper capacity of 4,250 sheets, utilizing five paper sources - three standard 500-sheet paper drawers, a 250-sheet bypass tray and 2,500-sheet large capacity tray (LCT). It also offers support for multiple paper sizes up to 13" x 19.2" and paper weights ranging from 24-lb bond up to 110-lb index through the main paper trays and up to 140-lb index through the bypass tray and LCT, making the colourFORCE 8050 ideal for the both the production and workgroup settings.

"The colourFORCE 8050 represents a breakthrough in speed and performance, and a new price benchmark for the colour industry," said William H. Brewster, Jr., vice president, marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. "Receiving this 'Editor's Choice' award and recognition as the 'value leader' in our target market by Better Buys for Business is a tremendous endorsement of both the quality of this product and the opportunities that it presents to our customers and sales channels."

Highlighted colourFORCE 8050 Features:

• Copy and print speeds of 50ppm colour and B&W
• Maximum monthly duty cycle - 150,000 pages
• Konica's Simitri colour Polymerized Toner
• Toner yields - 20,000 pages for colour and 30,000 pages for B&W
• 600 x 600 dpi resolution; 256 gradations per colour per pixel
• Maximum document size of up to 13" x 19.2", for 12" x 18" full-bleed printing
• 24-lb bond up to 110-lb index through main paper trays; up to 140-lb. index through bypass tray and the optional LCT
• 1,750-sheet standard/4,250-sheet maximum paper capacity
• Konica's Advanced Continuous Toner™ (ACT) technology for changing toner on-the-fly
• Konica IP-901 Fiery® print controller with 2 GHz processor, up to 512MB of standard memory, 60GB hard drive, new Fiery System software and optional Fiery Graphic Arts Package
• Advanced finishing options, including: multi-position stapling, saddle-stitch booklet-making, two and three-hole punching, trimming and post-sheet insertion

Pricing and Availability

The Konica colourFORCE 8050 is available through Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc.'s North American direct sales, authorized dealer and value-added reseller channels. The manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for the colourFORCE 8050 (main body only) is $35,900 USD. The MSRP for the Konica IP-901 is $23,000 USD.

About Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc.

By bringing together the strengths of its two founding companies, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc., headquartered in Ramsey, New Jersey, is dedicated to providing its customers with complete solutions for their document creation, production, and management needs. Konica Minolta provides the essentials of imaging to companies and organizations ranging from the small office/home office to large production operations with its full line of digital colour and black & white printers/copiers, multifunctional peripherals, desktop laser printers, plain-paper facsimile machines, software and network solutions, and professional services.

An industry leader in image capture, output and management, Konica Minolta provides world-class service through its extensive network of direct sales offices, authorized dealers, resellers and distribution partners in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and South America. For more information, please visit Konica Minolta on the World Wide Web at konicaminolta.us.

All terms, product and company names used in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners, and are hereby acknowledged.

• Contact